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Young Nottingham engineers are trying to raise £1,000 to help them design and build a new electric Formula 1-style race car for a major global student engineering motorsport competition.

The team from the University of Nottingham wants to build the first ever four-wheel drive electric motor car to enter the annual Formula Student competition, run by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, and now in its 20th year.

They will compete against some 100 other student engineering teams from universities worldwide when their vehicles take to the track at Silverstone motor racing circuit on July 11 to 15.

The team has launched a crowdfunding appeal to raise £1,000 to help them design and build the car.

Salomé Sanchez, race team leader at the University of Nottingham said: "Our goal is to become the UK's first electric four-wheel drive Formula Student car. Our approach is unique as we create out-of-the-box designs which flags our team's engineering capability and knowledge.

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"The unique planetary gearbox we previously designed received a lot of praise at the 2017 competition. This year we have a motor and advanced gearbox behind every wheel. It provides additional power, which makes the vehicle faster and more efficient.

"It is only our second year involved in the competition; prior to this we'd never built a car before. We started from zero, modelling and building the parts, so it's been a steep learning curve.”

The University of Nottingham team

Compared to other established teams, who are backed by big brands, the University of Nottingham racing team is a rookie outfit, going it alone, which is why fundraising is so important to their success.

The team of third and fourth-year mechanical and electrical engineering students is, however, unfazed by the challenge ahead and has big ambitions to take on the top contenders and win future race titles.

They said fundraising support will ensure they can test drive their working prototype in the next month and then race it at the Formula Student event at Silverstone.

"We are developing our car with a very tight budget compared to our competitors, said team member, Gordon Potin, a third-year mechanical, materials and manufacturing engineering student.

"Many elements of the car are designed and built from scratch here at the university, but there are essential components that we need to buy in and other crucial expenses to get us to race at Silverstone.

"Every pound we raise through this campaign will help us cover essential costs, such as funding for race day transport, accommodation and team-wear.

"If someone prefers to donate in other ways; anything from parts to expertise, that would be a bonus. Our needs are varied so there are plenty of opportunities to work together."